Oxford United have suffered back to back defeats for the first time since February after losing 2-1 at strugglers Morecambe.
The U’s took an early lead through Matty Taylor but, not for the first time this season, squandered their advantage and went on to lose the match.
Here are three talking points from the game.
Formation and Line-Up
For the first time since mid-February, Oxford reverted to their usual formation of 4-3-3. It wasn’t just a switch in formation, too, with several personnel changes.
Firstly, Jack Stevens made a return between the sticks in place of Simon Eastwood. Ciaron Brown played at left-back, with Steve Seddon on the bench, and Sam Long in the middle with Ryan Williams as a right back.
Cameron Brannagan remained out so Herbie Kane sat alone in a deeper role – something that didn’t work and it was arguably his worst performance of the season. Nathan Holland and Gavin Whyte began as the wide men but the former, once again, failed to take his starting opportunity with another below-par performance.
Taylor began up top and he struck his customary early goal before his side were pegged back. The formation change was the right idea as it clearly hadn’t been working since the injury to Sam Baldock.
Possession and Shots on Goal
When the divisions’ highest scoring side faces a team with the leakiest defence, you could argue the statistics would have been one-sided anyway.
Oxford ended the match with 71 per cent possession and hit the target seven times from 20 attempts on goal. Morecambe, on the other hand, found the net twice despite having just three shots on target from a total of six attempts.
It wasn’t just a problem against Morecambe but it’s been a dilemma all season. It is all well and good dominated possession, making several more passes and having loads more shots on goal, but if you aren’t winning or taking points from the match then those statistics become irrelevant.
Goals Conceded
Both goals conceded, once again, came from individual errors. The U’s took a deserved early lead and looked in control from the opening 15 minutes, but an unnecessary free-kick conceded on the halfway line led to Morecambe’s equaliser.
The ball was pumped forward and, as we have seen before this season, a header was only cleared back into the path of the opposition. Admittedly, the strike deflected past Stevens but it was an unnecessary set-piece to give away and the ball in should have been dealt with better.
The second goal was also a culmination of errors. A mix up between Brown and Kane allowed Cole Stockton to nick the ball. The striker played the ball out wide, continued his run and applied the finish.
